Mesh office chairs, which utilize a membranous fabric stretched across a component frame, offer a number of advantages over upholstered chairs. The mesh design enables airflow to keep the occupant cool as they sit and work. Along with breathability, mesh chairs are quite durable and require minimal maintenance.
Despite these advantages, mesh chairs do present challenges when attempting to provide the occupant with the appropriate ergonomic support. Efforts have been made to provide the benefits of a mesh backrest in a chair while still providing the occupant with the appropriate ergonomic support in the lumbar region. For example, ergonomic lumbar support has been accomplished through the use of a separate structural brace positioned behind the mesh in the occupant's lumbar region. Contoured mesh panels, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,240,771, have also been developed to provide a mesh backrest having lumbar support without the necessity of an additional solid structure. Heretofore, however, manufacturers have been unable to provide a unitary mesh backrest capable of providing the chair occupant adequate shoulder support or headrest support when the chair is in the reclined state.